The Proper Means of Handling the Illegal Alien Problem
June 10, 2007 at 10:24 AM
I really grow weary of the John McCain/Ted Kennedy/George Bush (MKB) cabal of illegal immigration apologists lobbing insults at those of us who are simply calling for the enforcement of our immigration laws as written.
We have been called "nativists," "xenophobes," and "anti-immigrationists." As in the case of all ad hominem attackers, this occurs because they are unable to defend the undefendable. None of those who oppose this push for amnesty have a greivance against immigration. It was immigration which built this nation. We are all the sons of immigrants. What we oppose is the flagrant defiance of our laws by illegal immigrants, local governments and our federal authorities. We oppose the abject refusal by some in our government to simply enforce the law.
The MKB bill is nothing but amnesty for law breakers, and the same empty promises of "enforcement" as we were given 20 years ago by the Reagan administration and the Congress of that period (another "lame duck" Republican President with Democrats in control of both Houses of Congress). The concept of the "Z" visa is the most repugnant and absurd suggestion that has been made by any law making body is some time. It is rewarding law breakers at the expense of those who have abided by U.S. immigration laws and used the proper procedures to obtain admittance to our nation.
In an earlier time, when "political correctness" wasn't the dominating influence it has become in our nation today and when men of state were still "men" and unafraid to act for the good of our citizens and our nation, the approach was quite different.
President Ike Eisenhower realized the threat to our nation that illegal immigration posed way back in the fifties, but unlike our current President, he was willing to do something about it. His solution involved the replacement of the then INS commissioner with retired General Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and a veteran of the 101st Airborne, the removal af INS agents who had close ties to those businesses that prospered from the steady influx of illegal aliens, and finally the institution of "Operation Wetback," a broad sweep by INS agents through the Southwestern US arresting all illegals they could findand deporting them, not just across the border, but deep into Mexico where their return would be far more difficult.
The Christian Science Monitor reminded America of that effort not quite one year ago in an article entitled, "How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico." [Link]
Now I don't know about you, but it looks to me like Ike's program met with unparalleled success. It is unfortunate that we lack men with the strength and character of Eisenhower and General "Jumpin' Joe" Swing today. It appears that but for a few stalwart soles in the Senate and House, we are being governed by men who favor convenience and fear such strong action.
The MKB "Comprehensive Immigration Bill" is a give-away and a "cop out." It is another case of Congress attempting to look as if they are accomplishing something when they are not. The bill lacks teeth for enforcement, and offers no means by which the stronger provisions could be enforced even it the will to enforce existed. It is paying lip-service to solving a real and growing security threat and a real and growing threat to the very culture in which we live.
It saddens me that "Neocons" like Fred Barnes and Bill Crystal, who see only dollar signs for business, consort with gutless "compromisers" like John McCain and Trent Lott and those like Ted "the Chauffeur" Kennedy and President "Compassionate Conservative" Bush who see only political advantage, in order to foist this "amnesty bill" and that is precisely what it is, on the American public.
The reason for the harried pace imposed on the Senate debate this week and the rush to pass, is all too clear. As citizens begin to learn the details of this immigration monstrosity, they are beginning to protest to their members of Congress and these members of our government "of the people, by the people and for the people," don't want to hear them. They know that there is only a limited window of opportunity for successfully passing this bill and that window is rapidly closing…as it should be.
Ike showed the way back in 1954, and Duncan Hunter has led the way with the fence he has caused to be constructed on Kalifornia's Southern border. The money has already been appropriated to construct the remaining 800 miles of fence, but nothing has been done even to begin construction. All America requires is a leader with the courage to "lead," rather than a fool who is more concerned with what the press might say than he is in enforcing our laws, or people who are more interested in providing business with low wage workers than they are in securing our borders.
I find it interesting that for 10 years this policy worked, and that this policy ended not with the Democratic Administration of Jack Kennedy, but with the institution of the "Good Old Boy" administration of Lyndon Johnson, who was by all accounts one of the most corrupt politicians in American history.
We could certainly use another Ike right now.
Long Live Our American Republic!
I really grow weary of the John McCain/Ted Kennedy/George Bush (MKB) cabal of illegal immigration apologists lobbing insults at those of us who are simply calling for the enforcement of our immigration laws as written.
We have been called "nativists," "xenophobes," and "anti-immigrationists." As in the case of all ad hominem attackers, this occurs because they are unable to defend the undefendable. None of those who oppose this push for amnesty have a greivance against immigration. It was immigration which built this nation. We are all the sons of immigrants. What we oppose is the flagrant defiance of our laws by illegal immigrants, local governments and our federal authorities. We oppose the abject refusal by some in our government to simply enforce the law.
The MKB bill is nothing but amnesty for law breakers, and the same empty promises of "enforcement" as we were given 20 years ago by the Reagan administration and the Congress of that period (another "lame duck" Republican President with Democrats in control of both Houses of Congress). The concept of the "Z" visa is the most repugnant and absurd suggestion that has been made by any law making body is some time. It is rewarding law breakers at the expense of those who have abided by U.S. immigration laws and used the proper procedures to obtain admittance to our nation.
In an earlier time, when "political correctness" wasn't the dominating influence it has become in our nation today and when men of state were still "men" and unafraid to act for the good of our citizens and our nation, the approach was quite different.
President Ike Eisenhower realized the threat to our nation that illegal immigration posed way back in the fifties, but unlike our current President, he was willing to do something about it. His solution involved the replacement of the then INS commissioner with retired General Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and a veteran of the 101st Airborne, the removal af INS agents who had close ties to those businesses that prospered from the steady influx of illegal aliens, and finally the institution of "Operation Wetback," a broad sweep by INS agents through the Southwestern US arresting all illegals they could findand deporting them, not just across the border, but deep into Mexico where their return would be far more difficult.
The Christian Science Monitor reminded America of that effort not quite one year ago in an article entitled, "How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico." [Link]
"Profits from illegal labor led to the kind of corruption that apparently worried Eisenhower. Joseph White, a retired 21-year veteran of the Border Patrol, says that in the early 1950s, some senior US officials overseeing immigration enforcement "had friends among the ranchers," and agents "did not dare" arrest their illegal workers.Walt Edwards, who joined the Border Patrol in 1951, tells a similar story. He says: "When we caught illegal aliens on farms and ranches, the farmer or rancher would often call and complain [to officials in El Paso]. And depending on how politically connected they were, there would be political intervention. That is how we got into this mess we are in now."
Bill Chambers, who worked for a combined 33 years for the Border Patrol and the then-called US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), says politically powerful people are still fueling the flow of illegals.
During the 1950s, however, this "Good Old Boy" system changed under Eisenhower - if only for about 10 years.
In 1954, Ike appointed retired Gen. Joseph "Jumpin' Joe" Swing, a former West Point classmate and veteran of the 101st Airborne, [actually, this is incorrect he was commander of the 11th Airborne Division, 1943-48] as the new INS commissioner.
Influential politicians, including Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson (D) of Texas and Sen. Pat McCarran (D) of Nevada, favored open borders, and were dead set against strong border enforcement, Brownell said. But General Swing's close connections to the president shielded him - and the Border Patrol - from meddling by powerful political and corporate interests.
One of Swing's first decisive acts was to transfer certain entrenched immigration officials out of the border area to other regions of the country where their political connections with people such as Senator Johnson would have no effect.
Then on June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country."
Now I don't know about you, but it looks to me like Ike's program met with unparalleled success. It is unfortunate that we lack men with the strength and character of Eisenhower and General "Jumpin' Joe" Swing today. It appears that but for a few stalwart soles in the Senate and House, we are being governed by men who favor convenience and fear such strong action.
The MKB "Comprehensive Immigration Bill" is a give-away and a "cop out." It is another case of Congress attempting to look as if they are accomplishing something when they are not. The bill lacks teeth for enforcement, and offers no means by which the stronger provisions could be enforced even it the will to enforce existed. It is paying lip-service to solving a real and growing security threat and a real and growing threat to the very culture in which we live.
It saddens me that "Neocons" like Fred Barnes and Bill Crystal, who see only dollar signs for business, consort with gutless "compromisers" like John McCain and Trent Lott and those like Ted "the Chauffeur" Kennedy and President "Compassionate Conservative" Bush who see only political advantage, in order to foist this "amnesty bill" and that is precisely what it is, on the American public.
The reason for the harried pace imposed on the Senate debate this week and the rush to pass, is all too clear. As citizens begin to learn the details of this immigration monstrosity, they are beginning to protest to their members of Congress and these members of our government "of the people, by the people and for the people," don't want to hear them. They know that there is only a limited window of opportunity for successfully passing this bill and that window is rapidly closing…as it should be.
Ike showed the way back in 1954, and Duncan Hunter has led the way with the fence he has caused to be constructed on Kalifornia's Southern border. The money has already been appropriated to construct the remaining 800 miles of fence, but nothing has been done even to begin construction. All America requires is a leader with the courage to "lead," rather than a fool who is more concerned with what the press might say than he is in enforcing our laws, or people who are more interested in providing business with low wage workers than they are in securing our borders.
I find it interesting that for 10 years this policy worked, and that this policy ended not with the Democratic Administration of Jack Kennedy, but with the institution of the "Good Old Boy" administration of Lyndon Johnson, who was by all accounts one of the most corrupt politicians in American history.
We could certainly use another Ike right now.
Long Live Our American Republic!
What do you think?
To leave your opinion click on the word "COMMENT(S)" below
posted by Will Malven at 11:26 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home